‘Unfortunately, there is no slot’: Former Indian captain’s harsh verdict on Ishan Kishan

India’s Ishan Kishan (AP photo) Former India captain and former chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes Ishan Kishan has all the attributes needed to succeed in Test cricket, but feels the wicket-taker is currently a victim of India’s crowded red-ball set-up.Kishan has enjoyed a remarkable revival in the last few months. After spending nearly two years on the sidelines, the left-hander forced his way back into India’s T20I squad ahead of the FIFA World Cup and has now marked his return to ODIs with a stunning century against Afghanistan.While Kishan’s comeback in white-ball cricket has drawn widespread praise, Srikkanth believes the Jharkhand star is equally capable of making an impact in the longest format.“I am a big fan of Ishan Kishan. He came back (to the Indian team) from nowhere and he is doing great. I like his game. The sheer quality of his batting, timing, power and effortless play. Ishan is an all-format player. He can actually play Test cricket too. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a slot for PTI.,” Srikth said.Kishan’s journey back to the national side was not straightforward. After losing his main contract in 2024 due to concerns over his participation in domestic cricket, the diminutive batsman is back in the grind, working hard on his game and featuring in domestic competitions including the Buchi Babu Trophy.Srikkanth believes that the tough stance taken by the BCCI has ultimately benefited the player.“The BCCI did a wise thing by asking him to go and play domestic cricket, which helped him a lot.He subsequently captained Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph.”While discussing India’s selection dynamic, Srikkanth pointed to another player who he feels has not been given enough opportunities across formats despite consistently proving his credentials.The former selector described Yashasvi Jaiswal as a complete all-format cricketer but believes the opener was unlucky to miss out on regular chances in white-ball cricket due to intense competition at the top of the order.“For example, Yashasvi Jaiswal is an extraordinary cricketer. I think he is an all-format cricketer. But he is only used in Test cricket. Even in the last match or series against South Africa, he scored a century on one of the first days.“And he’s got centuries in big Test nations like England and Australia. I think he’s amazing in T20 cricket as well. I think it’s just his bad luck that the shorter formats of the game have forgotten him,” said the 1983 World Cup winner.According to Srikkanth, a lot of top talent makes it difficult to pick a team, especially when it comes to openings.“That’s a problem especially in the opening slot. It’s a merry-go-round. Sometimes you’re there, sometimes you’re not there, sometimes someone else replaces you. It’s hard to come back. That’s part of cricket. But I think Jaiswal is an all-format player.”Srikkanth also expressed concern over what he described as a lack of continuity in selections, arguing that strong performances are sometimes too quickly forgotten due to the relentless international calendar.“Unfortunately what happens is that some players get a chance and then sometimes they are also forgotten, which should not happen. There should be continuity. But unfortunately too much cricket happens. So we also forget what happened in the last series,” Srikkanth said.Despite these concerns, the former chairman of selectors praised the current selection committee and its chairman Ajit Agarkar while suggesting that more opportunities be created for deserving domestic performers.“Some players, despite doing so well in domestic cricket, haven’t found a place in the Indian side. I think that’s one correction the selection committee needs to make, although Ajit Agarkar is doing a great job as chairman.”“But Test cricket is the perfect format for any cricketer. So we will probably have to make some adjustments (change in approach) in Test cricket,” Srikkanth said.